Educational Opportunity Guide

Academic Competitions

These links and resources are listed for informational purposes only.

No endorsement by the Duke University Talent Identification Program is intended.

Academic competitions are a great way for talented students to deepen their knowledge about their favorite subjects and challenge themselves to research and create. Competitions bring students together who share interests and abilities, and the atmosphere buzzes with learning and friendship. Organized by discipline, check out this growing list:

Multidisciplinary (^top)

Name Grade
BubbleWrap Competition for Young Inventors 5-8
Davidson Fellows Award PreK-12
Destination Imagination, Inc. K-12
Future Problem Solving Program 4-12
Knowledge Master Open 5-12
National Chess Championships K-12
National Gallery for America’s Young Inventors K-12
National Oratorical Contest 9-12
Odyssey of the Mind K-12, PG
Orcale ThinkQuest 5-12
Rubberband Contest for Young Inventors 5-8
Student Ideas for a Better America K-12
United States Academic Decathlon 9-12

Humanities (^top)

Name Grade
Alliance for Young Artists and Writers 7-12
American History Essay Contest 5-8
Arts Recognition and Talent Search (ARTS) 12
Elizabeth Bishop Writing Competition 8-11
High School Communications Competition 9-12
John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest 9-12
Joseph S. Rumbaugh Historical Oration Contest 10-12
Kids Philosophy Slam 1-12
Let's Get Real 6-12
Letters About Literature 4-12
Music Teachers National Association Contests Ages 11-26
National Geography Bee 4-8
National History Day 6-12
National Peace Essay Contest 9-12
National Vocabulary Championship 9-12
National Word Power Challenge 4-8
Promising Young Writers Program 8
River of Words: International Poetry and Art Competition K-12
Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee 1-8
Swackhamer Video Contest All ages
The Concord Review's Emerson Prize 10-12
US Senate Youth Program 10-12
Words That Shook the World Public Speaking Competition 9-12
Young Playwrights Festival National Playwriting Competition Ages 18 and younger

Mathematics (^top)

Name Grade
American Mathematics Competitions 6-12
Continental Mathematics League 2-9
Imagine Cup 10-12
Mandelbrot Competition 9-12
Math League Contests 4-12
MATHCOUNTS 7-8
Siemens Westinghouse Competitions 9-12
USA Mathematical Talent Search 6-12

Sciences (^top)

Name Grade
2007 Power Puzzle Challenge Ages 9-16
Canon Envirothon 9-12
Christopher Columbus Awards 6-8
Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge 5-8
eCybermission 6-9
Exploravision Awards K-12
FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge 9-12
Future City Competition 7-8
Intel Science Talent Search 12
International Bridge Building Contest 9-12
InvenTeams High School Invention Grants 10-12
Junior First Lego League Ages 6-9
National Science Bowl 9-12
National Science Bowl for Middle School Students 6-8
President's Environmental Youth Awards K-12
Rube Goldberg Machine Contest 1-6
Sally Ride Toy Challenge 5-8
Team America Rocketry Challenge 7-12
The Great Moonbuggy Race 10-12, PG
West Point Bridge Design Contest 7-12
Young Epidemiology Scholars Competition 11-12